In a series of 5 previous posts, I tried to look back into Machinalis experience in the creation of a formal Quality Management System (QMS) and subsequent ISO9001:2008 certification.

As Kinetic, the consulting firm we choose to go down this road, and Ing. Alejandro Barisonzi, from DNV (the certification entity we chose for external audits) told us from the beginning, the first certification is for us to be in the place of departure of a race. It means that we are able to manage our processes in a way that is compatible with ISO 9001:2008, which among other things, means that it is a system that can (and should) be constantly improved and look forward customer satisfaction as a constant goal.

Perhaps repeating myself a bit, Machinalis benefited in this long way because:

It improved its core processes;

It formalized support processes, which in many cases were informally managed (or not aligned with the standard);

It made all the roles in the organization, its communication, and the way Machinalis is and does, more clear;

It was involved in a process of questioning the details of its processes, which led to rethink and improve communication among members of the organization, and made involved processes better.

In short, I consider it’s advisable for any growing organization and in need of tools to properly manage this growth, a boost of formalization through the implementation of a QMS. We at Machinalis did it, it went really well, we are really proud of it, and today ourselves and our customers are enjoying the benefits.